The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-09-10

! iOokeu over the mountain and saw for the first time that 1t was hollow; having an ohlong shape as though some great grave had been digged into and left open to the gaze and mockery of the Armament l drew nearer 10 ! the crater, and there came up out of the horrible hlackness which rose np ;ss4,! ssiet the light, making the cavern seem like some huge cistern half-tille | with foul black water-there came up prolonged inarticulate musical wall ! like nothing that had ever greeted my senses before: still l knew that it came from the throat of some crea- ture; it was vocal sound this knew, 1t seemed, by intuition. Then without thought of dread or fear, which oppress Us even in dreams, l went down into that darkness, hear l ing all the while that strange, mean ] ingless vail, that undulated like ! pain-tortured heart -throbs, till all suddenly light, like that sometimes seen in teyered sleep, broke upon me, and became aware that l was in n large domed cavern, the confines oI l " hhNh oNAN NAtA th's FAetN tN drapery of palpable shadows.
 There were two large sulphuric stones, perhaps three feet in diameter, each placed side by side upon a pro- jecting shelf about twenty feet from the floor. There issued out of these twin stones q vapory, ghostly and [ utterly hideous glare that lighted up the surrounings in a most peculiar and sickening manner. There was great ! number of things--i had almost Said peoples, and, God knows, they may have been-going to aud fro in the glare. They looked to most star ] ting extent like plump putrid corpSes carried hither and thither by the eiler
 veScencc of their own rottenw'Ss. They were utterly naked, but strapped around their loinS was a girdle of gray, from which depended, in front, large flat stone. which very much 1 impedcd their movements and caused much weary stumbling as they passed to and fro, some utterillg that sound l had heard from above, others liSten- { ing. W hen had Secn this much. and other strange meaningless things were dawning upon me, there went over me again that same hurried, needless power; the glare of the cavern went out. sweet. quick breath went over and through me, and l opened my eyes upon Morell, who at that instant opened his eyes upon me. l looked at the clock had been gone only forty minutes.
 Morell explained: You must par don me for releasing you so soon, l did not intend it. l meant to take a great liberty with you l saw that I should grow very weary of the per sistent strain of halliday vigil. 50 | concluded to do with your body as you did with the corpse yesterday. l intended to occupy it iii your absence, leaving mine at rest. did not sue ceed as you perceive. In the process of trans-animation, of course had to exert upon myself the same influence under which held you, and the mo- ment my will was withdrawn for the purpose of self mesmerim l lost con trol of you. Therefore. you found yourself awakened just at the instant 1 passed into your former condition "
 "Very we'll" said. "But for the i love of God tell me something of that blank cavern; tell me something of those hideous things"
 ''Go back" he said, and laid his look upon me, and again the heart pain drained my lie-springs dry, and l stood forth again and with just one look about the lofty and shadow lit- ten old room which, when should waken again would seem more like soinc indaisi:;on of hell wherein stark wild maniacs torture and scream, I went out into the suE-glarc and trans cended through the distance and stood upon the verge of the crater, and looked upon the darkness, and heard the walls and pondered and then like stroke of ebon lightning, oblivion pierced me and l gasped back into life with a choking sensation, and there met my sight scene that maddened me with fear and horror and anger and dread. There upon the floor in the dcath-agony lay Morell, and with a huge knife from the point of which ran blood there stood over him the woman Jane, a maniac, shrieking and bowling and chattering. Iattempted to leap from the chair, but the grim horror of it throttlcd my throat and I could not The maniac seized Morelps hand and strengthening the arm by dint of much labor severed it at the shoulder All this time sat speech 1 less and faint and bound. The woman leaped up and whirliDg the arms around her head scattered huge flakes of blood and yelled: That's ! the hand he laid the curse on him with. I'll take the bones out of it and then it will be 1 limp: it can't hold such he'll power